Learning in a Retreat Setting

By Kathleen Boyd

Faux Retreats are designed to offer a unique opportunity to decorative artists to come together for an extended time to live and learn together in a beautiful setting.

Retreats are typically five days and held in the spring and fall in Spooner, Wisconsin. Each retreat features two instructors sharing the week and they are all-inclusive (except travel). Additional amenities that are included in the retreats are guest speakers, custom canvas creations and Samurai Faux Challenges, where students could win prizes by being given the same products and coming up with a winning finish within the time limit. There are also spa treatments: massages, yoga, Reiki, Zumba dancing are included in the retreat price. Other spa services are available at an additional charge.

Kathy Boyd, creator of the Faux Retreat, says, "These are more than just the classes. They are also a place for relaxation, rejuvenation and renewal. We have all been to a class where, after it is over for the day, most of the students go back to their hotel and you don't see them again until the next day's class. This changes all that!" She continues, "The debut Retreat in September was just incredible and I could not have asked for a better group of instructors or students. We had so much fun and everyone learned so much just interacting with the each other! One particular day started with a homemade breakfast prepared by Jim Harrell (an instructor's husband). He is an accomplished chef when not piloting for an airline. After that we had a great class and ended it with glasses of wine in front of a fire before dinner. Evenings were spent taking a dance lesson, getting a massage or socializing. We even indulged on crab legs that one of the students brought and got a great paraffin hand treatment from another student."